The present invention generally relates to folding machinery. In particular, it relates to folding of web materials used in disposable absorbent articles.
Fabrics, such as textiles, woven materials and nonwoven materials constructed from natural or synthetic fibers, may be processed into garments or other assemblies by feeding them through processing lines. These processing lines may operate non-stop or with few interruptions. In many instances when a product being made in the processing line includes fabric or other sheet-like material, these materials are stored in roll form and fed into the line as a continuously moving web of material. When the roll runs out of fabric, a substitute roll may be inserted into the line with or without interrupting the activity of the line. The web may be processed in any number of ways, such as by folding, pinching, bonding, gluing, compressing, sewing, cutting, and the like. In many cases it is preferred that these operations be performed in the machine direction, that is, done in the direction that the material is moving without interrupting the constant flow of fabric along the line.
The invention provides a device for folding a material web traveling in a machine direction. The device has a folding portion having a leading edge, a breaking wing attached to the folding portion, the breaking wing having a breaking edge, and a roller rotatably attached to the breaking wing and having a surface and a rotational axis. The rotational axis is along a transverse direction, the transverse direction being substantially perpendicular to the machine direction. The roller is for supporting a roller portion of the material web as the material web is fed to the folding portion, and the breaking wing is for supporting a wing portion of the material web as the material web is fed to the folding portion. The surface of the roller is positioned in the transverse direction at a first angle relative to the rotational axis, the breaking edge of the breaking wing is positioned in the transverse direction at a second angle relative to the rotational axis, and the first angle is different from the second angle.
The invention also provides a method of folding a material web traveling in a machine direction. The method includes feeding a roller portion of the material web onto a roller such that the roller portion of the material web is supported by the roller, feeding a wing portion of the material web onto a breaking wing such that the wing portion of the material web is supported by the breaking wing, and feeding the roller portion and the wing portion of the material web to a folding portion having a leading edge. The breaking wing has a breaking edge, the roller is rotatably attached to the breaking wing and has a surface and a rotational axis along a transverse direction, the transverse direction being substantially perpendicular to the machine direction. The surface of the roller is positioned in the transverse direction at a first angle relative to the rotational axis, the breaking edge of the breaking wing is positioned in the transverse direction at a second angle relative to the rotational axis, and the first angle is different from the second angle.